Gate-fastener.



No. 884,269. W. N. PA-VERTY & v. J. PETERSON.

GATE STENEE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1907.

F igl PATENTED APR. 7, 1 908. f I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER N. FAVERTY AND VICTOR J. PETERSON, OF TILFORD, SOUTH DAKOTA; SAIDPETERSON ASSIGNOR TO ALLEN O. FAVERTY, OF TILFORD, SOUTH DAKOTA.

GATE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 5, 1907.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Serial No. 377,409.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER N. FAVERTY and VIoToR J. PETERSON, citizens.of the United States, residing at Tilford, in the county of Meade, Stateof South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGate-Fasteners; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention has reference to improvements in wire-fence gates,

In gates of the above mentioned type, great difficulty has beenexperienced heretofore in retaining the wires, of which the gate isformed, in taut condition when the gate is closed, the fastening meansor gate latch ordinarily used permitting the wires to become loosenedand sag, so that the gate not only presents an unsightly appearance butalso remains in a partially opened condition, even when its pole isengaged with the fastening devices carried by the adjacent gate post. Onthe other hand, where the fastening device is in the nature of awirestretcher for the individual gate wires, it has been found that thewires are ordinarily so tightened as to render it impossible to open thegate without considerable difficulty.

It is the object of the present invention, therefore, to provide afastening device for use in connection with wire gates which will notonly retain the gate wires in a comparatively taut condition but whichis so constructed as to enable the gate to be readily unlatched, thusovercoming both defects mentioned above in connection with theconstruction in ordinary use.

To this end, the invention, briefly described, comprises a toothed platesecured to the gate post adjacent the free end of the ate, a leverpivoted to the plate and adapted for engagement with the teeth thereon,and a looped rod pivoted to the lever, the looped portion of the rodbeing adapted to be engaged with the gate pole when the gate is shut,whereby the gate-pole may be moved bodily towards the gate post, thusretaining the gate wires in taut condition.

The'invention will be readily'understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, and its preferred embodiment isillustrated in the accompanying,

1 drawings, in which like parts are designated by correspondingreference numerals in the several views.

Of the said drawings-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the completeinvention including the gate and fence, Fig. 2 is an enlargedperspective view of the fastening device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 7generally designates a wire fence of any conventional type, the wires 8of which are strung along the fence posts. The fence further includes apair of gate posts 10 and 11, to which the wires 8 are likewise secured,the gate 12 being movably connected to the post 10.

The gate wires 13 may be in the nature of extensions of the left-handwires 8, or may, if preferred, be separate short strips of wire securedat one end to the post 10, and at the other end to the gate pole 14. Inany event, the gate is to be regarded as movably connected to the post10 and to be composed ofa series of wires which are fastened at one endto said lpost, and at the opposite end to the gate-p0 e. The oppositepost 11 carries a fastening device 15 adapted for engagement with thegate when the latter is closed. This fastening device, as shown in Fig.2, comprises a metallic plate 16 having its upper edge provided with aseries of teeth 17, with which a lever 18 pivoted at its lower end tothe plate, is adapted to interchangeably engage, the lever having anotch 19 formed on its upper face at the point at which it engages withthe teeth.

Pivoted at its rear-end to the lever is a rod 20, whose forward end isprovided with a loop 21 adapted for engagement with the upper end of thegate pole 14 when the gate is shut. It will therefore be obvious thatwhen the loop is in the position above referred to, a downward movementof the lever will force the gate pole bodily towards the post 1 1, thusstretching the gate wires 13. Movement of the lever in both directionsis limited by a bowed strap 22, which is secured at opposite ends to theplate 16, and disposed at an acute angle to the adjacent face of thepost 11, the lever extending through the strap, as shown.

The post 1.1 is provided towards its lower end with a second fasteningdevice 23, which is likewise adapted to be engaged with the adjacent endof the gate pole when the gate is closed, this device being in thenature of a looped strand or strands of wire.

the gate wire will be tightened, displacement From the foregoing it willbe apparent that when the gate is closed the gate pole may be drawnbodily towards the adjacent gate post upon the actuation of the lever 18whereby of the lever from adjusted position being prevented by reason ofits engagement With teeth formed on the lower edge of the plate.

What is claimed, is

The combination, in a wire-fence, of a pair of gate posts; a wire gatemovably connected to one of said posts and including a gatepole disposedat the free end thereof; a plate secured to the opposite post andprovided with a toothed upper edge; a curved guide-strap secured to saidplate; a lever pivoted at its 5 upper end to said plate and extendingbeneath said guide-strap, said lever being adapted for interchangeableengagement with said teeth; and a rod pivoted to said lever and providedwith a looped end for engagement with said pole, whereby said pole maybe moved bodily towards the last-mentioned post, when said lever isoperated to stretch the fence wires.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures, in presence of twoWitnesses.

WALTER N. FAVERTY. VICTOR J. PETERSON. Witnesses:

J. D. GRoFF, JOHN RooTLEDoE.

